I understand the desperate…

I understand the desperate need for Ontario to increase housing supply and address the current housing crisis. As someone in my late 20s, the prospect of being able to purchase property or even afford my rent is incredibly daunting. That being said, continuing Ontario's foolish plan of endless, sprawling growth to address this crisis is not a sustainable or logical solution.

More endless suburbs disconnected from anything, forcing increased dependence on cars is objectively bad for the environment, particularly when being built into currently protected lands, and it is fiscally irresponsible. Endless sprawl with full expenses including roads, sewage, water, hydro etc. is not sustainable. The cost for cities to maintain the low density housing of the suburbs costs more than it brings in. Continuing along this path in Ontario's development will eventually lead to the fiscal insolvency.

In addition, to the environmental and fiscal ramifications, there are also personal considerations. Many people (myself included), don't want to live in car dependent suburban sprawl. But the way houses are currently built in Ontario, that is basically the only option apart from living in a condo in the downtown core of a city. Mixed use development with a range of housing types, e.g., multiplexes, low rise apartment buildings, and combining housing with retail and commercial businesses while providing walk-able/transit/bike-able alternatives to car dependency will provide more enjoyable places to live which are more economically profitable for municipalities with a smaller environmental impact than continued suburban sprawl.

We need more housing. Developing the greenbelt is not the way to do it.